06-06-2009, 09:33 PM
Gentlemen,
We have had this discussion before! It is old ground and I for one am more interested in seeing aspects of the Aspis discussed, rather than wander off-topic.
On the basis that one picture is worth a thousand words, here is a schematic on how I believe Hoplites stood, held their aspides and fought.......(attached)
Paul B.'s method of overlapped shields would, apart from anything else, not allow dexterity or proper use of the shield - two things no sane warrior would give up.
Finally, I have opined before that pyknosis/close order and synaspismos/locked shields were more or less the same for Hoplites because of the size of the shield ; unlike the Macedonian synaspismos, with their smaller pelta which allowed only half a cubit/18"/ 45 cm frontage per man - they most certainly stood side on, because you can't grasp a two-handed pike and stand 'square'. Polybius tells us too that on occasion rear ranks 'pushed', so it can be done and evidently was. In principle, the Macedonian Phalanx evolved from the Hoplite and was not radically different - yet another flaw in Paul B's hypothesis.
We have had this discussion before! It is old ground and I for one am more interested in seeing aspects of the Aspis discussed, rather than wander off-topic.
On the basis that one picture is worth a thousand words, here is a schematic on how I believe Hoplites stood, held their aspides and fought.......(attached)
Paul B.'s method of overlapped shields would, apart from anything else, not allow dexterity or proper use of the shield - two things no sane warrior would give up.
Finally, I have opined before that pyknosis/close order and synaspismos/locked shields were more or less the same for Hoplites because of the size of the shield ; unlike the Macedonian synaspismos, with their smaller pelta which allowed only half a cubit/18"/ 45 cm frontage per man - they most certainly stood side on, because you can't grasp a two-handed pike and stand 'square'. Polybius tells us too that on occasion rear ranks 'pushed', so it can be done and evidently was. In principle, the Macedonian Phalanx evolved from the Hoplite and was not radically different - yet another flaw in Paul B's hypothesis.
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
